| 2008 play list | |
Psycroptic, Symbols of Failure
An earlier album from this Tasmanian death metal quartet. It's busier than Ob(servant), with similar abrupt timing changes to Scepters of the Ancients (2003), which has lost favour with me over time. Speed and technical ability doesn't automatically equate to good songs. |
  
death metal 2006 |
| Harlan Ellison, On the Road with Ellison: Volumes 1-3
Since Ellison does not tour Australia doing lectures, one has to settle for recordings. This trio from Deep Shag Records contains eloquently blistering discourses from 1981-1983 and 1991-1993. |
spoken word 2001-2007 |
| Anthony Robbins, Unlimited Power
Naaahh, couldn't be bothered reading the book. The CD covers the key points of this seminal Robbins package. It's all about "personal power", in other words having a pro-active attitude (words he never uses). |
motivation 1987 |
| Psycroptic, Ob(servant)
Another brutal triumph from the Tasmanian devils of death metal. The production is outstanding and the musicianship is fast, precise, and always engaging. Great drumming once again. |
death metal 2008 |
| The Presets, Apocalypso
Ultra boring electro pop. The two great singles 'My People' and 'This Boy's in Love' and a bonus remix CD prompted me to buy this album. Big mistake. |
dance 2008 |
| Gabriella Cilmi, Lessons to be Learned
Lesson to be learned: stay away from Australian pop bands, especially those who win Aria awards. The single 'Sweet About Me' is the best of 2008, but avoid this album. Mine includes a bonus accoustic EP, which could be how the execs at Mushroom first heard these tracks in demo form. |
pop 2008 |
| Metallica, Death Magnetic
They fucked off Bob Rock and hired Rick Rubin. And it sounds like it. This is a return to form after 15 years of crap. On constant rotation at Toxic Towers. |
metal 2008 |
| Company B, Keating! The Musical
The live recording of the cult send-up of Aussie politicians during Paul Keating's rise and fall. The first half is better (funnier) than the second half. |
musical 2007 |
| Goblin, Buio Omega
The fabulous Italian band Goblin performs tracks from Joe D'Amato's sickoid horror film and Toxic Waste favourite Beyond the Darkness. |
soundtrack 1982 |
| Headroom, Artelligent
Sorry, nothing on this much anticipated album matches the track 'Get Cape Down'. It still gets played often as sonic wallpaper, and sounds lush on audiophile headphones. |
prog trance 2008 |
| Electric Light Orchestra, The Very Best of ELO
A solid example of a best-of compilation – don't leave off the big hits, particularly if you're a pop band. A guilty pleasure. |
rock 2008 |
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All albums I listen to are original purchases. I don't download songs, or rip and burn tracks from CDs that belong to someone else. I understand why people copy stuff for free. They can do what they want. And trust me, I have no sympathy for the major record labels and chainstore retailers that have been robbing both consumers and artists for decades. Fuck them all. But still...I choose to go against the grain and buy music. I like carrying the stuff home from the shop, carefully removing the price tag and censorship warnings, and slipping the shiny, newly minted 12cm disc into the CD player. It's a ritual – almost sensual. And then there's respecting the creative talents. Until a better system is available, I'll keep buying music from distribution outlets. It's not that expensive really, especially if you shop around, or visit secondhand dealers. However, be warned: if your album is shit, a scam, full of filler songs, a lazy excuse for art, I will drop a bomb on your pathetic lack of craft in the strongest possible terms. The citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had it easy. |
